Tag: future generations

Tonight President Obama steps onto the world stage for the annual State of the Union, but on Saturday morning, Ambassadors for Climate Justice deliver “State of the Planet 2015” at Seattle City Hall.

How is Earth doing in 2015? Find out Saturday as Ambassadors, who range in age from 9 – 14, share the latest climate update and more. “We don’t have time to wait until we’re grown up. We’re announcing initiatives to end the climate crisis.” says Ambassador Gabe, speaking on behalf of all kids who need grownups to help clean up. “Give us a chance at a habitable world.”

The children do their part planting trees, stopping pollution, inspiring others to take bold action. Come do yours!

You’re invited to this fun, free community event.

Saturday1/24, 11am-Noon

Seattle City Hall, Bertha Knight Landes Room

Councilmember Mike O’Brien will be on hand as young Ambassadors update Washington’s Billion Tree Challenge, plus their new initiative to put Climate “Warming Labels” on Seattle gas pump nozzles. Hear Aji & Adonis debut a new song live, and guest speaker Rob Shirkey, who originated the ‘labels on gas pumps’ idea in Canada.

If the children succeed, the City of Seattle will join Berkeley, which passed gas pump labels in November, and San Francisco, which has scheduled a hearing. Labeling gas pump nozzles “is just like labeling cigarettes,” according to 11-year-old Ambassador Stella, “but way better because gasoline poisons life all over the planet.”

In December, Seattle Ambassadors appeared in a documentary “Saving My Tomorrow” on HBO as well as on KING5 “New Day”. They also introduced Governor Inslee at a lunch with Al Gore, and planted the 11,000th tree of the season in Seattle Parks.

Now let’s make 2015 count as the year we turn the tide on climate change. Pledge to make a difference this year. Share your commitment!

Oct. 17, 2013 | KCTS9

“I’m here to draw the line because my future is on that line,” says Gabriel Mandell, 11, a climate justice ambassador at a recent rally in Seattle.

credit: Plant-for-the-Planet Seattle

SEATTLE — Gabriel Mandell is standing on stage at a recent anti-climate rally at a Seattle park squeezed between the railroad tracks and Elliott Bay.

“We’re on the fossil fuel nightmare express hurtling into a future we do not want,” he yells into the microphone. “To get off this train before it gets too far down the tracks, we have to stop Keystone XL! We have to stop the coal trains!”

The crowd of hundreds cheers in agreement.

Mandell’s voice is big and booming, but the rest of him is quite small.

He’s 11 years old, just starting middle school. And he’s flanked by a handful of other adolescents, kids who call themselves climate justice ambassadors.

“We want you to look at our faces to remind you why we need to draw the line against fossil fuel exports in the Northwest,” Mandell says to the crowd.

Mandell and his crew are part of a growing number of children worldwide who are asking adults and governments to take action to fight climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

A recent Unicef study (pdf) found that children around the world will bear the brunt of the impact of climate change. The study points out that children growing up today will experience first hand effects of climate change in the form of increased droughts, floods and storms. In the 10 most vulnerable countries, including India, Bangladesh and the Philippines, there are 620 million children under 18.

Mandell says he was inspired by the story of a 9-year-old boy from Germany named Felix Finkbeiner who started the Plant-for-the-Planet campaign, an effort to plant a billion trees worldwide.

Subsequent Plant-for-the-Planet chapters have sprung up around the world with children participating in academies to learn how to make an impact by studying climate change effects and developing public speaking skills.

Michael Foster is the behind-the-scenes parent organizing these workshops. His two daughters took part in the May workshop and have since taken action through planting trees, writing letters, talking to elected officials and giving public presentations about the impacts of climate change.

Children talking about climate change are difficult to ignore, Foster says.

Last year, 12-year-old Rachel Howell captivated audiences at the final scoping hearing for the Gateway Pacific coal export terminal proposed to be built near Bellingham, Wash. She said, “My generation will pay a high price for the global warming that you do. This is the future that you’re creating for us and this isn’t the future that we want so please don’t build these coal export terminals, it’s just not fair to my generation.”